Ich Bin Ein Beijinger

Photogenic Shanghai

In Hong Kong recently, I splurged on a nice Canon 10 megapixel digital camera, and I've been idly snapping photos here in Shanghai, where I've been most of the week on business. Say what you will about the place, but it sure ain't hard on the eyes. There've been a few clear days here with excellent visibility,  but most of the pics I've taken--night pics of the Pudong skyline, that sort of thing--look, not surprisingly, like lame postcards. I did, however, grab a few candid shots of colleagues at dinner tonight, at a place on the Bund looking out at Pudong. Here's one of OgilvyOne China president Chris Reitermann. Looks like a movie set, I thought. Click the image for a bigger version. Didn't Photoshop this at all.

I managed to go out with newlyweds Tony and Paulina for a drink Tuesday night, and had a happy hour beer with Will this evening. He and Mrs. Imagethief are moving into their new Shanghai digs today and tomorrow. Will tells assures me that it's possible to be a nerd and a Metal musician at once. thanks, Will.

Another day of meetings--so far, they've all been genuinely interesting--and then it's home to the family for what I sincerely hope will be a relaxing weekend. And a birthday lunch for this most excellent fellow.

SXSW-bound

In about 19 hours I'll be boarding a plane bound for Austin, TX, where I'll be speaking later in the week on a panel at South By Southwest about the Chinese music industry. Thanks to those who commented earlier and asked some good, tough questions.

South By Southwest has turned into more than just a music festival: Right now, the tech geeks have run of the place, and then the film nerds. Wish I could have made it at least for the tech conference. Read up on what's happening there at Read/WriteWeb, which has a man on the ground blogging away about some sessions he's attending.

I'll also take the opportunity after the conference to visit my two best friends, Drew & Dave, who live in Madison and Chicago, respectively. We played in a progressive rock band called Freefall together in college, and the weekend promises to be full of great food, music, and lively conversation.